Today's ASL Sign: STARFISH (more current name is SEA STAR) April 17 2015

The Evolution of Signs.

I like seeing new signs come along. There are a lot of words or ideas that are fingerspelled in ASL. Most of the time it doesn't bother me. Occasionally there will be a word here or there that doesn't have a sign and are fingerspelled or signed incorrectly.  
Today's word is STARFISH. 
Starfish or sea stars are not fish. Once in awhile I'll see someone sign STAR and then FISH. This combination of signs together does not fit the concept of what a starfish is. It always throws me off too when I see it. smile emoticon
Some people will sign STAR and then finger spell F-I-S-H. Ok - not bad. And some people will fingerspell the whole word S-T-A-R-F-I-S-H. Thats ok too.
I saw a new sign I really like for STARFISH or SEA STAR. It goes like this - make one hand a slightly bent 5 Handshape. The other hand is your base hand - representing the ocean floor. The bent 5 handshape moves and twists above "the ocean floor" hand as if it is moving across the ocean floor. Very cool! The sign does exactly what a starfish/ sea star does.